Artemis II Science
Artemis II science operations will lay the foundation for safe and efficient human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Artemis II Science
What We’ll Learn
The Artemis II mission will carry astronauts farther from Earth and closer to the Moon than any human has been in over half a century. From this unique vantage point and environment, the Artemis II crew will work with scientists on Earth to facilitate science investigations to inform future human spaceflight missions.
Astronaut Health
The following studies focused on the health of Artemis II astronauts will provide NASA researchers with an unprecedented glimpse into how deep space travel influences the human body, mind, and behavior. Results will help the agency build future interventions, protocols, and preventative measures to best protect astronauts on future missions to the lunar surface and to Mars.
Studies Advance Human Spaceflight Research
Get an overview of how NASA is using Artemis II to better characterize the ways in which deep spaceflight affects the human body.
ARCHeR
A study on Artemis II will monitor participating astronauts' well-being, activity and sleep patterns to learn more about human health and performance in deep space.
AVATAR
An investigation will use organ-on-a-chip devices to study the effects of increased radiation and microgravity on crew health
Immune Biomarkers
Scientists will analyze blood and saliva samples from Artemis II crew members to see how deep space changes the immune system.
Artemis II Standard Measures
Crews are supplying a consistent set of health information to a data bank so that future researchers can learn more about astronaut health.
Radiation Studies
Equipment will monitor radiation levels inside and outside the Orion capsule to help characterize the deep space environment.
Observe and Record
Lunar Science
The Artemis II astronauts will be the first humans to fly by the Moon in more than 50 years and will serve as scientific ambassadors to our nearest neighbor.
On the journey to the Moon and back, the Orion capsule will fly by the far side of the Moon — the side that always faces away from Earth. During this three-hour period, astronauts will analyze and photograph geologic features, such as impact craters and ancient lava flows. They will rely on the extensive geology training they received in the classroom and in Moon-like places on Earth to describe nuances in shapes, textures, and colors — the type of information that reveals the geologic history of an area. These skills will be critical to exploring the Moon’s South Pole region through future missions.
Learn More about Lunar Science
CubeSats
Several international space agencies will conduct scientific research through Artemis II
Space agencies from Germany, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina will fly CubeSats aboard Artemis II. The CubeSats, which have their own distinct objectives from NASA’s primary mission of sending four astronauts around the Moon, will be deployed in high Earth orbit. In addition to the CubeSats, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will conduct radiation research.
Learn More
cubesats
TACHELES
TACHELES (German Aerospace Center (DLR)) will measure effects of the space environment on electrical components to inform technologies for lunar vehicles.
K-Rad Cube
K-Rad Cube (KASA) will use a dosimeter made of human-like tissue to measure space radiation and biological effects across the Van Allen radiation belts.
Saudi Space Agency CubeSats
The Saudi Space Agency’s CubeSat will measure space weather at a range of distances from Earth and deploy in high Earth orbit.
ATENEA
ATENEA (Argentina's CONAE) will assess radiation shielding methods, measure Earth's radiation spectrum, collect GPS data, and validate a long-range communications link.
Science in Action
Payload Management
The flight control team within the Payload and Mission Operations Division at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL will monitor and manage a subset of Artemis II science from the Lunar Utilization Control Area during the Artemis II mission. Drawing on extensive training and execution from nearly 25 years of continuous International Space Station payload operations, these specialists will provide critical operations support for the astronaut health studies.
Real-Time Science Operations
A team of scientists with expertise in impact cratering, volcanism, tectonism, and lunar ice will provide real-time data analysis and guidance to the crew in space from the Science Evaluation Room in mission control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Artemis II provides an opportunity for scientists and flight engineers to call upon the years of testing and simulations that the teams have done together.
Astronauts as Scientists
Artemis II crew members Victor Glover and Christina Koch train in a mockup Orion capsule on cameras similar to the ones they'll use to capture the Moon’s geologic features in flight. Artemis II will give crew members a chance to participate in groundbreaking human health research while putting the lunar science skills they've been developing in trainings to a real-life test.
Space Weather
The Artemis II crew will fly well beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere, exposed to some of the harshest elements in space. NASA and NOAA will provide 24/7, real-time space weather forecasting and analysis to the Artemis II mission manager, flight director, and console operators during the mission. The Artemis II space weather team will track coronal mass ejections and solar flares — powerful phenomena that have the potential to harm human tissue and disrupt electronic systems — to provide advanced warnings for crew to take protective measures aboard Orion if necessary.
Learn More
